Get yer lugs on we're going to Disney - July 16 TR (update 8/11) Football and Chili's

[Princess Leia]

I miss the original Soaring. I too can't believe there is no way they couldn't fix that.

I enjoyed the original too although the film quality had deteriorated a bit. It will be interesting to see if they improve things in the future.

 

[tazdev3225]

Missed the updates. Life has kept me busy. Soarin is one attraction I readily skip. I have an issue with 3-D and motions. I tend to get quite green.

I do love the character interactions though I don't always do them when solo.

I'll be in Scotland in 2 weeks. How's the weather been? Don't know if I should pack shorts or jeans although I will probably opt for jeans.

 

[Princess Leia]

I'll be in Scotland in 2 weeks. How's the weather been? Don't know if I should pack shorts or jeans although I will probably opt for jeans.

I'm sitting here at 10pm in my shorts but then again I'm on holiday in Majorca just now. We have had an unseasonably hot summer in Scotland this year. It seems that it has cooled down again to 18 to 19 C (about 64 - 66F). It may improve again before you arrive but definitely pack your jeans.

 

[vamassey1]

I agree it's hard to pick fast passes @ Epcot due to the tiering. You only get one good one. I'm glad to see that Mickey's manners have improved. I did the whimpy side of Mission for the first time May 2017. I'll never do the spinning sided but DH loves it.

 

[Steppesister]

Yeah, they really didn't do so well with the new one. Very unfortunate and I know Disney could have done much better. As can Mickey. Sad those first few weren't so magical!

Glad to see you posting again!!

 

[Princess Leia]

I agree it's hard to pick fast passes @ Epcot due to the tiering. You only get one good one. I'm glad to see that Mickey's manners have improved. I did the whimpy side of Mission for the first time May 2017. I'll never do the spinning sided but DH loves it.

Hi! It is so important for Mickey to be welcoming. The reveal that year had been a special invite to WDW from Mickey hidden inside The Disney Parks monopoly. Hannah was desperate to talk to Mickey about it. It looks like he made you all very welcome at Ohana's.

Epcot is my least favourite park now. I think with most of the rides the novelty has worn off. I think it does have some good dining options.

 

[pkondz]

This was our first time experiencing Soaring around the world.

Really! Glad you got to experience it, but...

The Taj Mahal seems a bit squint but there was some serious dysfunction going on with the Eiffel Tower.

... you obviously sat towards the sides...

I really liked the concept of including different parts of the world but I can't believe they didn't pick up or sort the issues with the straight line structures.

...it's pretty horrible, isn't it? I refuse to ride that unless I'm in the center now.
Try it next time. Things will straighten out.

and hit the buttons when they lit up

Thank goodness! Otherwise you'd crash, you know.

They were sitting where we had left them - still on their phones. The Wi-Fi was too handy:

They didn't have to go to Disney for that.

A lot of things like The Seas, Turtle Talk and Journey into Imagination don't need a Fast Pass. That's why our 3rd Fast Pass was for Epcot Character Spot.

Agree. Tough picking that third one. Be nice if at least one of TT, Soarin' or Frozen were tier 2.

Mickey pushed them out of the way when he came to the table.

I'm sorry... he what??????

Of course the cast member on the phone explained that "Mickey is very busy and has to see a lot of people. He is so pleased that you have come to Walt Disney World."

So... the brush off. Great.

She told me we could come and see him at Magic Kingdom and wished me a magical day.

Wow.

To be honest he wasn't much better there and opted for the hug and shove approach.

Double wow! What the heck is going on???

When you have younger children you spend your life trying to get them to look at the camera. It gets better...doesn't it? Well, not when you've got a Hannah.

Hey look! She's looking at the camera! Success!

 

[Princess Leia]

Yeah, they really didn't do so well with the new one. Very unfortunate and I know Disney could have done much better.

Surely they have some mechanism to test it as they go along.

As can Mickey. Sad those first few weren't so magical!

The children can laugh about it now but it was upsetting for them at the time. They also enjoy telling the story about me phoning up to put in a complaint about Mickey. Family folklore!

Glad to see you posting again!!

Thanks! Glad to have Hannah's exams behind us but the wait for results seems interminable. We're just back yesterday from our family holiday in Majorca. I have kept up reading reports but I need to get commenting.

 

[Princess Leia]

...it's pretty horrible, isn't it? I refuse to ride that unless I'm in the center now.
Try it next time. Things will straighten out.

I'll do that next time!

Thank goodness! Otherwise you'd crash, you know.

I certainly wasn't going to risk it! At least this time Peter had long enough arms to reach the buttons and I didn't have to stretch to press his buttons too!

They didn't have to go to Disney for that.

To be fair Hannah was probably posting some of her Photopass photos to Facebook.

Agree. Tough picking that third one. Be nice if at least one of TT, Soarin' or Frozen were tier 2.

That would be good - I see that the character spot is now Tier 1 so worse than before.

Double wow! What the heck is going on???

Who knows but it is definitely a bit of Disney they need to get right.

Hey look! She's looking at the camera! Success!

The trick was to dangle a small child just behind the camera - it works every time!

 

[pkondz]

I certainly wasn't going to risk it! At least this time Peter had long enough arms to reach the buttons and I didn't have to stretch to press his buttons too!

Phew! Could've been a disaster.

To be fair Hannah was probably posting some of her Photopass photos to Facebook.

Acceptable.

That would be good - I see that the character spot is now Tier 1 so worse than before.

It is?

The trick was to dangle a small child just behind the camera - it works every time!

 

[Princess Leia]

Day Three Part Three: "You collect Magic Shots!"

Hannah and Peter fancied doing one of the Phineas and Ferb Agent P adventures. They chose to do a France mission - I have memories of doing UK and Mexico at some stage over the years. Who remembers completing the Kim Possible missions using their Kimmunicator? This time there was no Kimmunicator or even a F.O.N.E. (Field Operative Notification Equipment). The cast member helped get them started using their mobile phone.



The three of them worked away on their mission and seemed to explore quite a bit of the France pavilion.



You may notice in the above photo a large protrusion from Alan's back. It was a cool backpack in which we brought in water and snacks. The little snack size bags of mini muffins and carrot sticks were very welcome. While the others continued on their mission I wandered round taking some photos.



The mission continued..



To be honest I was getting too hot and a bit fed up by this stage. I was intrigued by the photopass photographer who seemed to be taking some sort of magic shots at the old camera. I suggested to my crew that they might want to pause and come and get a photo. I stand accused by my family of being a bit melodramatic when they weren't interested in getting the photo taken. Seemingly I turned to Hannah and said increduously "but you've always liked magic shots, you collect magic shots, I don't feel I even know you anymore." I of course have no such recollection but anyway it has continued to grow and has become a chorus that they all join in if magic shots are mentioned. Even on our recent holiday, if Hannah declined having her picture taken, the boys piped up "but you love magic shots, you collect magic shots!" Do you know that's the problem with families they keep things going years after the event and it just grows.

After a bit the children stopped and decided to humour Mum by getting some photos taken. They even got a magic shot and when we looked on the photopass website the magic shot made us laugh.



Even the Photopass website mocked me! So after e-mailing and waiting a few days I did get some magic added after all Hannah does collect magic shots!



While waiting to have the magic added I decided to make my own magic!



They continued with the mission but kept losing connection so there was only one thing for it! A shady spot to eat ice cream from L'Artisan des Glaces.



In all the years we have been coming to Epcot I have never ventured into the back streets of France. My recommendation, in the heat of summer, is to skip Agent P and head straight to L'Artisan des Glaces or even better if the family insist on doing the mission find a bench to eat ice cream until they return.

 

[pkondz]

Who remembers completing the Kim Possible missions using their Kimmunicator?

Me! I do!

This time there was no Kimmunicator or even a F.O.N.E. (Field Operative Notification Equipment).

That was so cool, I liked dropping it off in the "secret" locations.

I've done the P missions too. (not all) I much preferred the K missions.

The three of them worked away on their mission and seemed to explore quite a bit of the France pavilion.

That is one good thing about those (either). It does force you to slow down and look around.

You may notice in the above photo a large protrusion from Alan's back. It was a cool backpack in which we brought in water and snacks. The little snack size bags of mini muffins and carrot sticks were very welcome.

So... you were scaling Everest later in the day?

I suggested to my crew that they might want to pause and come and get a photo. I stand accused by my family of being a bit melodramatic when they weren't interested in getting the photo taken.

Seemingly I turned to Hannah and said increduously "but you've always liked magic shots, you collect magic shots, I don't feel I even know you anymore."

Even on our recent holiday, if Hannah declined having her picture taken, the boys piped up "but you love magic shots, you collect magic shots!"

That's not going away any time soon.

Do you know that's the problem with families they keep things going years after the event and it just grows.

OMG! I'm dying!

So after e-mailing and waiting a few days I did get some magic added after all Hannah does collect magic shots!

I've heard that somewhere...

A shady spot to eat ice cream from L'Artisan des Glaces.

This place has been on my list for a loooong time.

or even better if the family insist on doing the mission find a bench to eat ice cream until they return.

 

[pooh'smate]

Haha I love that you added your own magic.

 

[Princess Leia]

That was so cool, I liked dropping it off in the "secret" locations.

That's right - I remember in the UK dropping in the pillar box. They had a dodgy Scottish villain called Killigan. The conclusion to that story line was "If Kim hadn't stopped him from building a giant golf club who knows what might have happened". Building giant golf courses in Scotland..who was this villain again?

That's not going away any time soon.

This place has been on my list for a loooong time.

There's always next time!

Haha I love that you added your own magic.

Sometimes you just have to create your own magic!

 

[pkondz]

That's right - I remember in the UK dropping in the pillar box. They had a dodgy Scottish villain called Killigan. The conclusion to that story line was "If Kim hadn't stopped him from building a giant golf club who knows what might have happened". Building giant golf courses in Scotland..who was this villain again?

I don't remember that one. But.... pretty funny. The horror of an oversized golf club!!

There's always next time!

It's why I keep going back. That and I love going. Period.

 

[Princess Leia]

It's why I keep going back. That and I love going. Period.

Perfectly good reasons and nobody round here is going to dissuade you.

 

[Princess Leia]

Day Three Part Four: Princess Leia presents Fun with Flags!

The girls decided there was one more thing they wished to do before leaving France.

Princess Aurora had found herself a quiet secluded spot in the shade. She seemed pleased to have some company.



She offered Hannah some life advice.





We met back up with the boys and went in search of some entertainment. Are you ready to surrender to the fun? Wave your white flag now!



Introducing Sbandieratori Di Sansepolcro to entertain you with their energetic flag throwing.



I won't share the 36 photographs taken with you as I really don't want you to get overstimulated: I aim to take the vex out of vexillology! For those who missed this act at Epcot,which is entirely possible as acts move on pretty quickly these days at Disney, I present Sbandieratori Di Sansepolcro!









"Come to me flag!"



Phew, caught it!





At this point we surrendered to the heat and decided to call it a day at Epcot. Except we were in the middle of World Showcase - when we got to the Outpost Peter decided that $18 on a cooling fan would be money well spent. He was looking forward to finishing this World tour!



This episode would not be complete without featuring Princess Leia's all time favourite fun with flags at Disney! For this she will transport you back to the rooftop of the Wilderness Lodge.



Being the Flag Family and getting to raise all the flags is up there as one of my all time favourite Disney moments. The views were incredible from the roof of Wilderness Lodge.

 

[pkondz]

Princess Aurora had found herself a quiet secluded spot in the shade. She seemed pleased to have some company.

That's because, as is typical with princes, she got swept off her feet then left to sit while he goes off hunting and jousting and such.

She offered Hannah some life advice.

What could be more relevant than advice from a princess?

They're looking a little... done.

Introducing Sbandieratori Di Sansepolcro to entertain you with their energetic flag throwing.

I think..... think... I saw a bit of that.

I aim to take the vex out of vexillology!

Whoa! I did not see that!

Phew, caught it!

That's one. The other was impaled and had to be replaced.

Peter decided that $18 on a cooling fan would be money well spent.

Hmmm... I wonder if nearby air conditioning would have changed his mind.

"$20 for a cooling fan? Yes!!"

After 5 minutes in A/C
"$20 for a cooling fan? Probably a good idea."

After 10 minutes in A/C
"$20 for a cooling fan? Let me think about it..."

After 20 minutes in A/C
"$20 for a cooling fan? Maybe $10... but $20?"

After half an hour in A/C
"$20 for a cooling fan? Are you crazy??!!"

Being the Flag Family and getting to raise all the flags is up there as one of my all time favourite Disney moments. The views were incredible from the roof of Wilderness Lodge.

Cool!!

 

[Princess Leia]

Life Update

The past year has been taken up with Hannah studying for her Higher exams. These are the exams that are required in Scotland for university entry. She sat 5 Highers in English, Modern Studies, History, Biology and Drama. It has been a stressful year with lots of course work and assignments along the way. Her final exam was on 1st June. She applied for university and received a conditional offer on attaining specific grades in her exams. It has been a long wait over the summer to see if she would meet the conditions of her offer. I have been literally counting the days, then hours to results day. Yesterday we sat waiting at 8am for her results to come via text. We were delighted and relieved when the text arrived with her results that secured her place at university. She is going to do Nursing Studies - Dual registration: Learning Disability/Child. She is really looking forward to starting uni and the thought of not returning to school in a couple of weeks.

 

[MeghanEmily]

Congrats to Hannah! That's a wonderful accomplishment. What a fabulous field she's chosen.